Parking worries over planned care home

A state-of-the-art care home will help meet the growing shortage of beds in the city, says the company behind the plans.

But concerns have been raised about potential parking problems at the proposed site opposite Manor Close in Thanington.

The land was previously granted permission for nine homes to be built but now Frontier Estates has revealed its scheme for the 64-bed care home. Early details indicate it will have 21 parking spaces, which the parish council fears is too little.

“With 64 rooms and dozens of staff, it will be nowhere near enough and could lead to overspill in surrounding roads,” said parish clerk Roger Cheeseworth. “I would have thought it needs double that.”

But Mr Cheeseworth said the idea of a new care home was very welcome in the area and much needed.

He said: “The parish council has met with planning consultants and was very impressed by the professional approach and the way they are going about it.

“We have just asked them to have a look at the number of parking spaces and see if they can be increased.”

The design is still in the early stages and more will be revealed at a public exhibition at the Thanington Resource Centre from 2.30pm to 7.30pm on Monday, January 8, where people will be encouraged to give their views.

There is currently a shortage of around 200 care beds in Canterbury which is rising and the applicant says the facility is much-needed to help meet the growing demand.

The home will be designed to provide both residential and nursing care, including dementia and palliative care.

A planning application is expected to be submitted next year, with work starting in the spring of 2019 and opened in 2020, if all goes to plan.

Developers of the nearby Thanington Park housing scheme have already revealed that a care home forms part of their scheme.

Artist’s impression of a proposed new care home in Thanington - residents are worried it will not have enough parking